SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BLOCKCHAIN-BASED CONSENT AND CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT
A specialized networking and application system which includes a consent and campaign blockchain network for advertising campaigns. Off-chain databases are used to store a user's personal data records that are not suitable to be stored in blockchain ledger system. A user receives an opt-in request link prompting the user to consent to receiving advertising campaign messages. The invention verifies user's consent using a single-use token and, if the verification is successful, the advertising campaign messages are transmitted to the user. The invention enables users to centrally manage their consents/preferences for various enterprises, various channels and/or campaigns, storing encrypted subscribers' consents/preferences data into trusted blockchain network, validating the preferences before delivering a campaign message to the user, and providing audit trials and historical campaign messages with analytic data to the users.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/680,258 entitled “System and Method of Blockchain-Based Consent and Campaign Management”, filed on Jun. 4, 2018, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIt is crucial for companies to protect the privacy of their users before sending mobile communications or accessing personally identifiable information (PII). Consent Management services add a layer of trust between companies and their users by acquiring and storing consent (or permission) before accessing user related data or sending various types of mobile communications.
The consent management manages the consent status, tracking, and auditing to ensure compliance with local laws and regulations. The goal is to respect the privacy of the users, and this convention ensures that none of the subscriber credentials are distributed, leaving the subscriber in control.
However, currently there is no common place for users to manage their consent/opt-in preferences. Currently, users need to interface with multiple companies and may need to manage their consent/opt-in preference in multiple ways. The absence of a central user consent management system leads to replication of the process that could be time consuming and tedious for the users whenever they need to modify or delete their personal information and consent with the consent management system of each individual enterprise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis invention consists of specialized networking and application system, including an exemplified consent and campaign blockchain network, allowing different participants to join the network and implement their specific functions. In an embodiment, the invention includes multiple application nodes to implement various functions to support the requirements of different participants. The invention further includes off-chain databases to store data records that are not suitable to be stored in the blockchain ledger system. The off-chain data record could be personal records that include private attributes that must be kept securely and need to be modified or deleted.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for consent and campaign management which includes, transmitting, by an enterprise, an opt-in request to a user, the opt-in request for inviting the user to consent to receive one or more messages related to a campaign, wherein the opt-in request comprises a link to a blockchain network. The method further includes, generating a single-use token in response to the user accessing the blockchain network via the link to the blockchain network, transmitting the single-use token to the user and, responsive to the user logging into the blockchain network using the single-use token, issuing a private key to the user. The method further includes, receiving a user's response to the opt-in request, wherein the user's response includes the user's personal data, encrypting the user's personal data using the private key and storing the user's personal data in an off-chain database, logging the user's response to the opt-in request into the blockchain network, validating the user's opt-in response as consent to receive messages pertaining to the campaign and transmitting the campaign message to the user based upon the validation of the user's opt-in response and logging delivery of the campaign message into the blockchain network.
This invention enables users to centrally manage their consents/preferences for various enterprises, various channels and/or campaigns, storing encrypted subscribers' consents/preferences data into trusted blockchain network, validating the preferences before delivering a campaign message (via text messaging, email, voice call and etc.) to the subscriber, providing audit trials and historical campaign messages with analytic data to the users.
This invention enables enterprises to communicate with a distributed blockchain computer network, update their campaign info and subscription channels into the blockchain network, validate a subscriber's preferences before delivering marketing campaign messages, conduct campaign models based on historical data to model the potential campaign outcome prior to actual implementation.
The invention further enables legal/regulators and/or 3rd party auditors to communicate with a distributed blockchain computer network, conduct audit of each individual user's engagement history, and also each company's campaign status and the recipients.
For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed disclosure, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Enterprises experience challenges managing various regulations, including GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) wherein managing subscriber opt-in and consent is very difficult and complex because different industries have different needs each country may have different rules and regulations.
Both Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Enterprises are faced with these challenges, which include validating subscriber contact details while also insuring subscriber privacy. There is an overall lack of visibility as to who/what/where/when personal information is shared, which is not desirable.
Blockchain is commonly described as a digital, decentralized ledger that keeps a record of all transactions that take place across a peer-to-peer network so that participants can transfer assets across the Internet without the need for a centralized third party. As such, blockchain networks provide immutable records so consent data cannot ever be deleted, thus providing a trusted audit trail. In the present invention, blockchain network ledgers are used to record the subscriber opt-in, campaign message sent to a subscriber, method used, timestamp, etc. along with a subscriber response if any (i.e. opt-out). Additionally, an offline, secure database with encrypted subscriber data is used to ensure safety of personal data.
In the embodiment depicted in
As shown in
The user node 230 shown in
The embodiment depicted in
The consent and campaign management 200 further includes an software implemented audit system 260 to conduct audits based on the blockchain transaction records in the consent and campaign blockchain network 205 and the off-chain databases 270 to store the users data records that are not suitable for storage in the blockchain ledger 215 of the consent and campaign blockchain network 205.
According to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) regulatory requirements, the consent and campaign management system must keep the corresponding records to demonstrate when and how the enterprise obtained consent from participants (users) 230 including the evidence of the following:
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- Who consented to the messaging campaign, such as the name of the user or other identifier (e.g. online user name, session ID), which should be included in the record
- When the participants consented, such as a copy of dated document, an online record with a timestamp, and/or a note of time and date which was made at time of conversation
- What the participants were told, such as master copy of document or data capture form containing consent statement used at time, or record of scripts used in getting oral consent
- How the participants consented, such as relevant document or data capture form for online consent data submitted as well as a timestamp to link to the relevant version of the data capture form, a note of oral conversation but not necessarily a full record of the conversation, an audio recording of confirmation of the consent, etc.
- If the user has withdrawn consent, and if so the date and time on which the consent was withdrawn
The block diagram of
The data model 300 as depicted in
The data model 300 depicted in
As further depicted in
The present invention may be embodied on various platforms. The following provides an antecedent basis for the information technology that may be utilized to enable the invention.
Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. Embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented as instructions stored on a machine-readable medium, which may be read and executed by one or more processors. A machine-readable medium may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computing device). For example, a machine-readable medium may include read only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory devices; electrical, optical, acoustical or other forms of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.), and others. Further, firmware, software, routines, instructions may be described herein as performing certain actions. However, it should be appreciated that such descriptions are merely for convenience and that such actions in fact result from computing devices, processors, controllers, or other devices executing the firmware, software, routines, instructions, etc.
The machine-readable medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any non-transitory, tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
A machine-readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with machine-readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A machine-readable signal medium may be any machine-readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. However, as indicated above, due to circuit statutory subject matter restrictions, claims to this invention as a software product are those embodied in a non-transitory software medium such as a computer hard drive, flash-RAM, optical disk or the like.
Program code embodied on a machine-readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wire-line, optical fiber cable, radio frequency, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Machine-readable program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, C#, C++, Visual Basic or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages.
Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by machine-readable program instructions.
The advantages set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing disclosure, are efficiently attained. Since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing disclosure or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
Claims
1. A method for consent and campaign management, the method comprising:
- transmitting, by an enterprise, an opt-in request to a user, the opt-in request for inviting the user to consent to receive one or more messages related to a campaign, wherein the opt-in request comprises a link to a blockchain network;
- generating a single-use token in response to the user accessing the blockchain network via the link to the blockchain network;
- transmitting the single-use token to the user;
- responsive to the user logging into the blockchain network using the single-use token, issuing a private key to the user;
- receiving a user's response to the opt-in request, wherein the user's response includes the user's personal data;
- encrypting the user's personal data using the private key and storing the user's personal data in an off-chain database;
- logging the user's response to the opt-in request into the blockchain network;
- validating the user's opt-in response as consent to receive messages pertaining to the campaign and transmitting the campaign messages to the user based upon the validation of the user's opt-in response; and
- logging delivery of the campaign message into the blockchain network.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the campaign message is a message pertaining to an advertising campaign, a customer loyalty program, a service or contract between the enterprise and the user.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to transmitting by the enterprise, an opt-in request to a user, registering the campaign generated by the enterprise with the blockchain network.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising prior to registering the campaign in the blockchain network:
- registering the enterprise with the blockchain network; and
- creating, by the enterprise, the campaign in the blockchain network.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the opt-in request is transmitted to the user via an electronic communication selected from the group consisting of a Short Message Service (SMS) message, an email, and an instant message.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, issuing a public key to the user and wherein the user stores one or more of the private key and the public key in a personal wallet or a QR (Quick Response) code.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein validating the user's opt-in response as consent to receive messages pertaining to the campaign further comprises creating a user profile in the blockchain network if the user does not exist in the blockchain network.
8. A consent and campaign management system, the system comprising:
- an enterprise node for; transmitting an opt-in request to a user, the opt-in request for inviting the user to consent to receive one or more messages related to a campaign, wherein the opt-in request comprises a link to a blockchain network; generating a single-use token in response to the user accessing the blockchain network via the link to the blockchain network; transmitting the single-use token to the user; responsive to the user logging into the blockchain network using the single-use token, issuing a private key to the user; receiving a user's response to the opt-in request, wherein the user's response includes the user's personal data; encrypting the user's personal data using the private key and storing the user's personal data in an off-chain database; logging the user's response to the opt-in request into the blockchain network;
- an engagement node for; validating the user's opt-in response as consent to receive messages pertaining to the campaign and transmitting the campaign message to the user based upon the validation of the user's opt-in response; and logging delivery of the campaign message into the blockchain network.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the campaign message is a message pertaining to an advertising campaign, a customer loyalty program, a service or contract between the enterprise and the user.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the enterprise node is further for, prior to transmitting an opt-in request to a user, generating the campaign and registering the campaign with the blockchain network.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the enterprise node is further for, prior to registering the campaign in the blockchain network, registering the enterprise with the blockchain network; and creating the campaign in the blockchain network.
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the opt-in request is transmitted to the user via an electronic communication selected from the group consisting of a Short Message Service (SMS) message, an email, and an instant message.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the enterprise node is further for issuing a public key to the user and wherein the user stores one or more of the private key and the public key in a personal wallet or a QR (Quick Response) code.
14. The system of claim 8, wherein validating the user's opt-in response as consent to receive messages pertaining to the campaign further comprises creating a user profile in the blockchain network if the user does not exist in the blockchain network.
15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of running a software program on a computing device, the computing device operating under an operating system, the method including issuing instructions from the software program comprising:
- transmitting, by an enterprise, an opt-in request to a user, the opt-in request for inviting the user to consent to receive one or more messages related to a campaign, wherein the opt-in request comprises a link to a blockchain network;
- generating a single-use token in response to the user accessing the blockchain network via the link to the blockchain network;
- transmitting the single-use token to the user;
- responsive to the user logging into the blockchain network using the single-use token, issuing a private key to the user;
- receiving a user's response to the opt-in request, wherein the user's response includes the user's personal data;
- encrypting the user's personal data using the private key and storing the user's personal data in an off-chain database;
- logging the user's response to the opt-in request into the blockchain network;
- validating the user's opt-in response as consent to receive messages pertaining to the campaign and transmitting the campaign message to the user based upon the validation of the user's opt-in response; and
- logging delivery of the campaign message into the blockchain network.
16. The media of claim 15, further comprising instructions for, prior to transmitting by the enterprise, an opt-in request to a user, registering the campaign generated by the enterprise with the blockchain network.
17. The media of claim 16, further comprising instructions for, prior to registering the campaign in the blockchain network:
- registering the enterprise with the blockchain network; and
- creating, by the enterprise, the campaign in the blockchain network.
18. The media of claim 15, wherein the opt-in request is transmitted to the user via an electronic communication selected from the group consisting of a Short Message Service (SMS) message, an email, and an instant message.
19. The media of claim 15, further comprising instructions for, issuing a public key to the user and wherein the user stores one or more of the private key and the public key in a personal wallet or a QR (Quick Response) code.
20. The media of claim 15, wherein validating the user's opt-in response as consent to receive messages pertaining to the campaign further comprises creating a user profile in the blockchain network if the user does not exist in the blockchain network.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 4, 2019
Publication Date: Dec 5, 2019
Inventors: Huiyue Xu (Tampa, FL), Jason Gerardi (Tampa, FL), Javier Dominguez (Tampa, FL), Sara DeBella (Tampa, FL), Sreedhar Vemuri (Secunderabad)
Application Number: 16/430,615